An easy day trip from London by car or train, the independent charm of cool, sceney Whitstable is a magnate for summer holiday makers, out-of-season weekenders and spur-of-the-moment day trippers. Between the working fishing harbour, shingle beaches, pretty cottages and beach huts, there are vibrant eating and drinking destinations, ranging from coffee shops, cafés and wine bars to restaurants with national recognition. And it’s the place to eat oysters – the native bivalves a defining part of Whitstable’s history since Roman times and celebrated in an annual oyster festival (from 12-14th September in 2025).
If you’re inclined towards a no-frills, grab-and-go oyster experience, walk along the seafront towards the harbour, past black tarred fisherman’s huts that have been converted into quirky overnight accommodation, to find oysters sold from shacks owned by The Whitstable Oyster Company. If The Forge is overrun with visitors, carry on to the often less crowded Oyster Shed. Naturally, there are Whitstable rocks regardless of whether there is an R in the month or not – natives follow the R rule – shucked to order in a fast-paced conveyor belt-style and served on paper plates with wedges of lemon. Slurp ad hoc, perched on benches if free, a wall or on the beach. And note that during the summer season, between 5-6pm, half-a-dozen are just £6.25.
If your trip to the coast leans more towards a slap-up meal, it's well worth seeking out a long-standing local favourite. The iconic, pink-and-blue painted Wheelers Oyster Bar on the High Street is the tiny doyenne of the local dining scene. Steeped in history – it dates from 1856 – to this day it serves fresh fish and shellfish eaten squeezed on a stool at the seafood counter or in the two-roomed back restaurant; there’s take away, too. A bring-your own-affair, don’t forget to nip over the road to The Offy for a bottle of wine that might match your natural or Guiness-battered oysters and lobster lasagne.
Like everywhere in town, Samphire (also on the High Street) keeps things local and seasonal, whether dayboat fish, meat or seasonal vegetables. Natural oysters come with juniper mignonette, the fish pie is popular, and booking is advisable for the good-value set-lunch and weekend brunch as it is for dinner.
For a full-on sea view head out to Tankerton Slopes (it’s where the town goes to swim, too). Here long-established JoJo’s occupies a commanding spot overlooking the North Sea, a fitting backdrop to Mediterranean-influenced, flavour-first sharing plates majoring in locally landed fish and seafood alongside excellent mutton and feta koftas and charcuterie boards.
For next level eating, and top of the wish-list for many, is The Sportsman tucked behind a sea wall in Seasalter, two miles from Whitstable. Stephen Harris’s pioneering produce-first restaurant established a beachhead almost 26 years ago and is still well worth the pilgrimage – rated World Class in the Guide, it’s one of the top culinary addresses in the country – with booking well in advance essential.
But for a more spur of the moment trip there are plenty of casual places to enjoy. In a popular move, The Offy is now playing host to local favourite David Brown’s Deli. It’s tucked into a corner of the off-licence and options for a casual lunch abound – the made-to-order sandwiches are considered the best in town. Or it’s a hop and a skip to Harbour Street where RuLu’s - Deli/Kitchen/Wine is open for breakfast and simple one-dish lunches of, say, whole crevettes with chilli and garlic sauce. The Larder is something of a hidden gem, a tiny, easy-to-miss café-deli that offers an easy lunchtime fix via a menu of grilled cheese sourdough sandwiches – the kim’cheese with Montgomery Cheddar, red onion and kimchi is magnificent. For dessert pop along to Morelli’s Gelato where there’s a wide range of flavours (made fresh each day) to eat in or takeaway.
Value for money is a big plus at Lee and Lucy Murray’s Harbour Street Tapas, and the kitchen team interpret the Spanish ethos very well in dishes such as fresh grilled sardines or fried baby squid with anchovy aioli. Porto Wine Bar is the place for a deep dive into an extensive wine list that majors on Portugal, backed up by skewers of, say, grilled chicken and chorizo, sardine bruschetta with tomato and chargrilled peppers, and sharing boards of fish pâté, meat and cheese. A new addition to the street is Vinko, a wine bar run by Brad Gent, the former general restaurant manager of the now closed Read’s and his wife Ewa, previously assistant head sommelier at the Pig at Bridge. The focus is on smaller wine producers from around the world, backed up by a short snack menu of quality charcuterie, fish and cheese.
A thriving café culture means you’re never far from a good pit stop for a refuel. The vote for the best coffee in town goes to the delightfully simple Blueprint Coffee & Books on Oxford Street. But if you are after something more with your coffee, there’s Grain & Hearth, a bakery and café, also on Oxford Street, where the coffee is good and there are sourdough croissants, viennoiserie, bacon sandwiches and grilled cheese toasties to be had. Remember to pick up a sourdough loaf to take away, too. A short walk away is newly opened Junior’s Deli on Canterbury Road, fast becoming a go-to address as word spreads on the excellence of their breakfasts and delicious lunches featuring homemade focaccia sandwiches and small plates such as burrata, peach, dukkah and tomato salad. More established is Windy Corner Stores on the corner of Nelson Road and Island Wall, a local favourite for all-day breakfasts where a sausage sandwich, creamy mushrooms on toast or a full English will hit the spot.
Finally, for many visitors there are few prospects more appealing than the traditional approach - proper fish and chips, especially if eaten on the beach. Confusingly, the town boasts two chippies with the same name but are unrelated – we would love to know the back story. Fortunately, Ossie’s Fish Bar on the High Street, and Ossie’s Best Fish and Chips on Tankerton Road, about a mile out of town, are equally good – and both offer dine-in options as well as that all important proximity to the beach
